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The competition is over, but the party is just beginning.

After a week of high-stakes jumps and heart-stopping scores, the world’s elite skaters are trading their technical nerves for pure artistry in the 2026 Milano Cortina Exhibition Gala.

All eyes are on American sensation Alysa Liu, who returns to the ice not just as a fan favorite, but as a newly crowned Olympic Gold Medalist — ending a 24-year drought for U.S. women. Joining her is the “Quad God” Ilia Malinin, who, despite a heartbreaking eighth-place finish in the individual event, received a rare special invitation to perform for the Milan crowd.

From legendary encore performances to the highly anticipated group number led by Italian icon Carolina Kostner, the Sporting News is tracking every backflip, costume change, and emotional highlight live from the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

MORE 2026 OLYMPICS: Live medal tracker | Viewer’s guide | Day-by-day schedule

Olympics figure skating live updates, highlights from 2026 gala

2:29 p.m.: Sato finishes his routine. He’s followed up by Italy’s team with the introduction “Everything is new. Everything glows.”

2:25 p.m.: It’s time for another bronze medalist, Japan’s Shun Sato. He starts his routine with a backpedal on the ice.

2:17 p.m.: Now, Japan’s Ami Nakai, who won the bronze medal this Olympics, is on the ice.

At 17 years gold, Nakai is the youngest figure skating gold medalist at these Olympics.

2:15 p.m.: The Spanish skaters continue their routine before taking two soccer balls to center ice. While hyping up the crowd, they sign the balls then throw them into the arena.

2:12 p.m.: Now, Spain’s Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck are on the ice performing a duet.

2:06 p.m.: Next up is Italy’s Daniel Grassl, who bows down at the Olympic rings at center ice to start his routine.

2:01 p.m.: The gala is underway with Italian 2014 bronze medalist Carolina Kostner.

1:55 p.m.: We’re moments away from the figure skating gala. Follow along for live updates.

Just a few moments before #FigureSkating Gala kicks off, and the skaters are ready! Are you? #MilanoCortina2026 pic.twitter.com/qLbwDDHETG

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 21, 2026

1:39 p.m.: Though the competition is over, there’s one more event to take care of. That’s the figure skating gala happening at the top of the hour.

All of these skaters will be featured in the event, from Ilia Malinin to Alysa Liu.

Enjoy the exhibition gala – here’s the final lineup pic.twitter.com/IdAb3s1Hfe

— Jackie Wong (@rockerskating) February 21, 2026

How to watch 2026 Olympics figure skating gala

• Date: Saturday, February 21
• Time: 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT
• TV Channel: NBC
• Live Stream: Peacock

The Olympics figure skating gala will air nationally on NBC, with live coverage starting at 2:00 PM ET. The gala will also be streamed on Peacock, which provides access to all NBC networks and all Olympic coverage.

What time will Ilia Malinin skate in gala?

While the exact minute-by-minute skating order for the 24 performers is typically not released until shortly before the show starts, Ilia Malinin is part of the Men’s lineup alongside the newly crowned Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov.

Since Malinin is a high-profile guest and a major draw for the global audience, he is likely to perform in the second half of the show, which generally features the biggest stars and individual medalists. The gala concludes with a finale featuring the entire cast around 4:30 p.m. ET.

USA figure skating medal results 2026

Team USA’s figure skating performance in Milan-Cortina was defined by a mix of historic breakthroughs and shocking upsets. While the individual men’s podium eluded them, the U.S. successfully defended their team title and secured their first women’s individual gold in over two decades.

In one of the most emotional storylines of the Games, Liu became the first American woman to win individual Olympic gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002. Coming out of a two-year retirement, Liu surged from third place after the short program to take the title with a near-flawless free skate to “MacArthur Park Suite.”

The biggest surprise of the tournament was Malinin finishing 8th in the men’s individual event. Despite entering as the heavy favorite, Malinin struggled with multiple falls in his free skate. However, he was the hero of the opening week, delivering a massive performance in the Team Event to clinch the gold for the United States.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates secured a silver medal in a razor-thin Ice Dance final. They were edged out by France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron by just 1.43 points, the second-smallest margin in Olympic history.

Full Olympics figure skating gala lineup

Women’s Singles

Men’s Singles

Pairs

Ice Dance